With Akagi Takenori's powerful dunk, the atmosphere in the gym once again erupted in excitement.
"As expected of our captain!"
"Nice one!"
After Akagi scored two points with his thunderous slam, the upperclassmen's morale soared. Kogure and Yasuda gave him a thumbs up in praise.
"Get back on defense!"
"Let's crush them in one go!"
Akagi's roar instantly turned the tide, wiping out the disadvantage they had just suffered.
"Oh!"
Kogure and the others responded loudly, dropping back into defensive stances, ready to meet the freshmen's next attack.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Kawata and the others looked utterly deflated, like eggplants after a frost. Akagi's dunk had dealt a heavy blow to their confidence.
They all turned, with dark lines across their faces, to glance at Tatsuhiko Shouya and Rukawa Kaede.
"The seniors are starting to play for real now."
"I don't know if we can hold up."
"Tatsuhiko, Rukawa… it's probably up to you two now."
"Stay steady. The game's only just getting started. Don't lose heart, we still don't know who the final victory will belong to."
"And besides, we're still leading by one point."
Hearing his teammates' discouraged words, Shouya clapped his hands to rally them.
Rukawa gave a slight nod, silently agreeing. Deep down, though, he could still feel the sting of Akagi's dunk—it carried a clear note of provocation.
"First-years, victory!" Shouya shouted, taking the lead.
Soon after, Kawata and the others huddled around him, echoing his chant.
"Yeah, we're still in the lead!"
"First-years, victory!"
Their morale rose again under Shouya's encouragement.
Akagi, watching Shouya step up, couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
"Not bad. Looks like the freshmen's spirits are completely being lifted by Tatsuhiko."
"We must stop this next play!"
Seeing the freshmen fired up, Kogure and the upperclassmen felt their fighting spirit ignite once more.
"Alright, let's see the true strength of these first-years. If we lose to them, it'd be way too embarrassing."
On the sidelines, Ayako noticed the freshmen's rising spirit and smiled.
"I didn't expect Tatsuhiko to have this kind of ability."
Originally, she thought he was just another blockhead like Hanamichi Sakuragi. But he had just surprised her in a big way.
"Hohoho… yes. This game may only now be truly beginning." Coach Anzai chuckled in response.
Beeep!
"Ball in!"
With Tanaka's whistle, the game resumed.
Sasaoka inbounded, quickly passing the ball to Shouya.
Shouya pushed forward with the dribble.
"Tatsuhiko-kun, was that earlier move skill… or just luck?"
Kogure stepped up to block him, smiling faintly.
"How about letting me test it again?"
Dribbling with his right hand, Tatsuhiko smirked as he stared Kogure down.
Kogure froze at his words. What? We only just crossed half-court, and this guy… is he really going to try the same trick again?
"No way. Let's settle this head-on." Kogure said firmly, though his heart wavered.
Impossible. That earlier shot was pure luck. Even if I let him take one more, there's no way he'll make it again.
He subtly shifted his steps back toward the paint.
Seeing this, Shouya's grin widened.
"Then, senpai… be ready for the captain's scolding."
Without waiting for a reply, Shouya confidently gripped the ball in both hands and raised it into a shooting stance.
Though Kogure's movement was small, Shouya's sharp eyes caught it immediately.
So you're basically saying: go ahead, take the shot. You think it won't go in? Fine, but if it does… I'll make you eat your words.
Kogure frowned. Could this freshman actually have some real skill? Even so, his body didn't move to contest the shot.
When Shouya slowly lifted his arms, Akagi's face darkened.
What's he doing? Shooting? Really? He immediately regretted his earlier praise. He's just a reckless fool.
Rukawa, too, was intrigued. This guy's insane… could he really sink it?
The freshmen who had just had their morale boosted were now panicking.
Boss, weren't we supposed to play smart? What's this stunt again?
Ayako, who had only just praised Shouya, covered her face with both hands.
"I take it back. He's exactly like Hanamichi—just another blockhead."
Coach Anzai, however, stood up from his seat, frowning slightly.
Tatsuhiko doesn't strike me as someone who shows off without thought. This freshman is… interesting.
Amid everyone's doubts, Shouya leapt up. Just like his first attempt, he launched the ball toward the hoop.
Swish!
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
"What!? It really went in?"
Kogure's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Another long three… and it goes in?!"
Yasuda and the others grabbed their heads in shock.
Akagi, who was about to jump for the rebound, froze as the ball sailed perfectly through the rim.
He turned, stunned, staring at Shouya.
No way… seriously?
Rukawa, too, fixed his gaze on him. Looks like I need a one-on-one with this guy.
Kawata and the others were dumbstruck for a moment, then erupted in cheers.
"Whoa!! It went in!"
"Tatsuhiko is amazing!"
In that instant, any doubts they had about him disappeared. Their faces were full of admiration.
On the sidelines, Sakuragi Hanamichi's eyes bulged as he watched, filled with envy.
"Nice one, Tatsuhiko! Though of course, compared to me, the genius, you're still a bit behind!"
As long as Shouya didn't pass to Rukawa, in Hanamichi's mind, it was perfect.
Ayako, meanwhile, thought back on her rapid shifts in opinion about Shouya and felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
She was about to sigh when—
"Big Sis!" Hanamichi suddenly slapped her shoulder. "I heard everything just now."
"Sakuragi Hanamichi!! Back to training!"
Ayako whacked him with her clipboard, having momentarily forgotten he was beside her.
Coach Anzai, watching the perfect shot, couldn't help but praise:
"Good shooting. Good explosiveness. Hohoho…"
With Shouya sinking two consecutive long threes, Coach Anzai grew even more excited about his potential.
"So, senpai, tell me now. Was that skill… or luck?"
After scoring, Shouya patted the dazed Kogure on the shoulder, then turned to call his teammates back.
"Don't just stand there! Get back on defense and stop their attack!"
Kawata and the others sprinted into position, faces full of excitement.
With Tatsuhiko Shouya leading them, defeating Captain Akagi's squad no longer seemed impossible.